


Try Your Best

by Drhair76



Series: Suaimhneas---(Peace, Tranquility, quiet, rest.) [12]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV), Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
Genre: Clay Jensen is a good bro, Gen, Jessica and Clay are cute friends, M/M, Monty is shitty, Violence, Zach and Alex are pretty much married, just the faulty use of fists, nothing too terrible?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 06:58:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14971568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drhair76/pseuds/Drhair76
Summary: Justin has no clue how these things happen to him. But at this point he should stop being surprised by it all.Or, ending up in the office with a bruised face and a suspension is not how Justin wanted to spend his first day back.





	Try Your Best

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own 13 Reasons Why or any characters associated with it.

Going to school after the trial was hard for everyone. School spilt up their little group and forced them into the same classes as the assholes they've been trying to put in jail. 

"I don't like this." Justin muttered to Clay as they both walked up the steps. "Unfortunately, I knew Montgomery. Personally. The baseball team was his life." 

"Sounds like a shitty life." Clay joked but Justin didn't laugh. 

Clay stopped walking and Justin followed suit, turning to face him. 

"You're really worried aren't you?" Clay asked tilting his head. Justin shifted, pulling his backpack straps and rocking back on his heels. 

"I guess." 

"Well, don't. Okay? We'll be fine." Clay tried for a reassuring smile but it fell flat. "If you need me, call me." 

Justin huffed a laugh but nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Okay whatever." 

Jessica met them at the door with an anxious look on her face. "Am I the only one who's freaking out here?" 

"Not really freaking out, more like having a constant anxiety attack." Clay laughed. Justin narrowed his eyes at him. 

"Are you okay?" 

"Great! Just dandy. Never better." 

"Mm hm. I'm gonna go find Zach and Alex." Justin sighed and Jessica held out her hand to Clay. 

"Walk me to class?"

 Clay smiled at her and Justin watched briefly as they walked off together before starting down the hallway. A perk of being homeless for five months and then suddenly coming back to school is the fact that he didn't have to go out of his way to move through the people. 

They stayed away, whispering on the edges of the halls while he hustled to the back entrance. About halfway there he saw Zach, carrying Alex's bag and talking to him energetically. 

"Hey Justin!" Zach called when he spotted him. Justin hustled over to the two, turning so he could walk with Alex. 

"Are you ready for this hell fest?" Alex asked in that way that he had, his sort of constant sarcastic and cynical way of talking. 

Justin scoffed. Zach looked over at him with mild interest. "I'm sure that Bryce won't fuck with you. Not after that threat that Clay gave at the dance." 

"Clay did what?" 

Zach waved Alex off with a chaste kiss to his cheek. "I'll tell you later." 

"Yeah, sure. But it's not Bryce I'm worried about." Justin admitted. "The rest of those assholes? Maybe." 

"Wow," Alex exclaimed. "Justin Foley, willingly admitting his fears. Never thought I'd live to see the day." 

Zach gently hit Alex's shoulder in response. "Don't joke about that." 

"Sorry, sorry. Anyway, don't worry Justin. I'm sure you'll be fine." 

•••

Alex's reassurance stayed true thoughout Justin's first two periods. Then it took a turn for the worse.

"Hey Foley!" 

Justin was determined to get to his next class without any issues-especially anything started by Monty. He kept walking forward, ignoring the looks he got from the other students in the hall. 

"Justin!" 

He cursed under his breath and sped up. He can't remember a time where he was early to class but it was looking like this would be one of those rare times. 

"I'm talking to you!" 

Justin was grabbed by the shoulder and whirled around. Instead of immediately throwing a punch, Justin allowed himself to be spun. Coming face to face with Montgomery, who was surrounded with some of the other guys from the football team wasn't a surprise in the least. 

"What?" Justin snapped. He pushed Monty's hand off of his shoulder and moved back. 

"I heard you were the one who got Bryce stuck on probation." Monty took his pointer finger and jabbed it into Justin's chest, pushing him back. Justin grit his teeth and knocked Monty's arm away. 

"He did that himself. Not my fault you decided to follow a rapist." 

Monty growled and rushed at Justin, pushing him against the lockers. Immediately, the rest Monty's boys were around the two, making it impossible for Justin to escape. 

Monty punched him in the face once, twice, before a shout was heard from down the hall. 

"Mr. Del La Cruz! Mr. Foley! To my office right now!" 

The crowd around the two dispersed and Monty stepped away from Justin, shaking out his hand. Justin slumped down to the floor, pressing a hand to his cheek, which would bruise and holding his nose, which was bleeding. 

"Lucky. I should kill you." Montgomery sneered before stalking over to the new guidance consoler who was standing there waiting for them both. 

"To my office." Mrs. Singh told Montgomery, she then turned back to Justin, who was still picking himself off the floor. "Head to the nurse, then meet me in my office Mr. Foley." 

Justin nodded, there was no point in trying to explain that Justin literally did nothing at all, so he didn't bother. 

At least he didn't have to go to Geometry. 

  
•••

"Mr. Foley, I will not tolerate fighting of any kind in my school." 

Justin nodded, glaring at the piece of paper in Mr. Bolan's hands. After Mrs. Singh caught Monty punching the shit out of Justin in the hallway, she realized that apparently Monty didn't need guidance. 

(Or that was just the impression she got when Montgomery started cursing at her in her own office.)

So if Monty didn't need guidance than neither did Justin. So here he was, in the principals office, probably getting suspended. 

"I'm going to call your...guardian to come and get you to take you home. You and Montgomery both have two day school suspension. Please get your things and wait out in the lobby." 

Justin just grabbed his bag, seeing no reason to make a huge fuss when Lainie would already have to leave her job to come and get him. He trudged out and plopped down into the plastic chair facing the main office desk. 

Back before whenever he was suspended or in trouble, he would just fake a phone call from his mother and walk out. He'd pretend that his mom had an appointment, or was doing something important so she couldn't leave the car but yes, Justin can walk right out to me and yes he's in so much trouble. 

In reality, his mom didn't care. She never answered the phone whenever the school called her, so Justin would just leave, sit outside and wait for Bryce to come out to pick him up. 

But now, he didn't have Bryce. He had someone who really seemed to care for him. 

Of course Justin would ruin that by getting in trouble on his first day back. What if Lainie and Matt decided to un-adopt him? 

A tiny voice in his head was yelling that they would never do that-Clay would never let that happen-but the rest of his mind was freaking the fuck out. 

It only took another seventeen minutes for Lainie to rush in, clad in her business suit and heels, and practically skid to a stop in front of him. 

"Justin?" Lainie reached a hand out and very gently brushed his cheek. Justin involuntarily flinched away and Lainie jerked back. "What happened?" 

"I-Montgomery," Justin gestured to his face. "He's mad." 

Lainie stared at him for a second more before her face hardened. Justin watched her lips thin and her gaze turn cold before she stormed into the office. 

Justin sat there for twenty minutes before he saw Clay's head poke around the corner. Justin zeroed in on the new bruise on his jaw and small cut on his cheek. 

"Clay, what happened?" Clay laughed, mirth tugging his lip up into a smile. 

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Clay took the chair next to him and sat down, throwing his bookbag down at his feet. 

"Monty." Justin sighed, relaxing into his chair. "What about you?" 

"Bobby and Jacob. But they were definitely pulling their punches." Clay recounted. "Luckily Coach Patrick saw or otherwise I would be looking a lot worse." 

Justin smiled at the mention of his coach. Despite his tough outside, Coach Patrick really cared about his players lives and hardships. He would always ask them how they were doing, especially in the off-season when he didn't see them all the time. Justin figured it could've been true that Coach might have grown a soft spot for Clay, considering the fact that his family adopted him. 

"I might have gotten in trouble." Justin admitted, fiddling with his jacket sleeves. "But I didn't do anything, so not really." 

Clay looked confused and mildly skeptical for a moment. "Even though I have cause to not believe you, I'm going to. Only because I can see the bruises on your face." 

Justin flipped Clay the bird and Clay laughed. 

•••

Lainie didn't say anything when she came out of the office. Justin and Clay scrambled after her, following behind like lost puppies as she click-clacked down the halls. People parted like the Red Sea for her, afraid of getting run over by her sharp heels. 

She didn't speak when they left the school, she didn't speak in the car and she almost didn't speak when they were parked outside of Clay's house. 

"Mom?" Clay asked when it seemed like they were all just going to sit in the car for a while. "Are you okay?" 

Lainie sighed, long and loud and completely exhausted. "I'm-i'm just shocked. I'm shocked at the complete ridiculousness of that school at it's teachers." 

Justin breathed a sigh of relief and Clay smiled at him. 

"Ugh, you guys did absolutely nothing and you get a two day suspension? That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard of." Lainie continued. Then she suddenly stopped and started to dig through her bag. "You two can head inside, I've got to call Matt and issue a complaint to the school board." 

Justin and Clay leaped out of the car and practically sprinted into the house. 

•••

"So she's not mad?" 

Clay sighed and thumped his head against the desk, where he was sitting finishing his English essay. "No Justin, for the fifthteen time. She's not mad." 

"You're sure?" 

"Positive." Clay confirmed. "Are you doubting me knowing my own mother? Cause that's ridiculous, she's been mad at me enough for me to know for sure." 

"Fine." Justin sighed, shifting his hold on the small bag of frozen peas against his face. 

A knock sounded at the door and the two boys looked up to see Matt peeking into the room. 

"You guys alright?" Justin pulled the peas away from his cheek so he could nod while Clay threw him a thumbs up. 

"Okay," Matt said. "Mom's still on the phone so it looks like dinner's up to us tonight. How about some homemade pizza?" 

Clay gave a half smile then finished what he was writing. Justin watched him stand up and follow Matt out. Justin, unsure if he should go too, just stared down at his lame excuse for an ice pack. 

"Justin. What are you doing?" Justin looked up to see Clay standing there impatiently. "Come on. Pizza." He emphasized before he dashed out too. Justin let a small smile creep across his face before he followed him out. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hmmm, I feel some Zalex coming in the very near future! They are just too cute! 
> 
> Let me know if there is another couple or paring you'd like to see me write about. 
> 
> Come and yell with me on my Tumblr!
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/drhair76


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